Delirium
by Catherine45
Summary: May is soon turning eighteen, which means it's time for her to give Pokemon Coordinating a rest and get serious about college. However, in the midst of forgetting some certain events from the past, she finds herself encountering the situations she never thought she'd come across. Contestshipping.
1. Prologue

_There are two sides to every story_

* * *

 **Prologue**

* * *

 ** _25th January, 2013._ _Late Evening_. _Indigo Plateau, Kanto._**

May flopped down on the bed with a loud thud. She yawned in exasperation, covering her mouth from her hand as she frowned. Turning her head to the right, she glanced at the alarm clock; it was 11 p.m.

She could spare herself a few minutes, she figured. Quickly, she got up from the bed and walked to the table where her laptop lay in and brought it back to her bed. While she waited for the system to start, a dull memory of her conversation with Solidad started repeating in her head, refusing to die away.

Harley should have told her sooner. It had been a month or so. Even if that was the truth, it was too late.

Trying to shake the thoughts out of her mind, she stared at the screen in front of her. The blue light emanating from the laptop screen illuminated her face; the dull lamplight on the nightstand wasn't helping to light the room much. She blinked a few times, trying to get used to the brightness. The wheels in her mind were still turning, chanting the same words over, and over, and over.

Sliding her finger across the touchpad and pulling up the browser, she pressed her lips together tightly between her teeth as she typed in the website in the address bar. Truth to be told, she wasn't sure if she should do it. But there was something which was pushing her towards it. Probably something he would have dismissed.

Typical.

Once the page had loaded, she slid her finger across the touchpad once again and then tapped on it lightly with her finger, pulling the pointer on the screen across to rest at the option 'book a flight'.

Another page started to load, and after it did, she pressed the keys on her laptop as she typed the destinations for departure and arrival. Then she moved onto the calendar to choose the date. She entered '27th January' and finally hit the button; 'find available flights'.

The results didn't take too long to load. There were only two flights leaving for Nimbasa on 27th. She chose one, selecting one of the packages Unovan Airways were providing. But before she could hit the 'proceed to payment' button, she stopped and retreated her hand back.

No. There was no logic behind it. She just… couldn't do it. It would be useless to do it. She had failed so many times now that she was almost convinced giving up was her only option left, and maybe even one she'd already taken. But still, there was a chance. In the end, she settled on some vague line between desperation and confusion. She kept staring at the screen, her seat in the plane just one click away to be booked. She sighed, rubbing her temples forcefully.

 _"I thought, I should tell you at least."_

Solidad didn't talk to her for nothing… right? It wasn't in her nature; Solidad wasn't the kind to waste words on things that didn't matter. Maybe she wanted her to do it; maybe she knew something May didn't. Well, maybe this was her last opportunity and she couldn't let it go to waste. Plus, it was Unova that she was going to visit and it was a big deal because travelling to that foreign region had always been a dream of hers. As the imagination of herself enjoying on the streets of the extravagant city of Nimbasa struck her, she couldn't help but make a firm decision.

It would be a lie if she said that she wasn't thrilled by the idea.

Nodding to herself, she reached forward and clicked the button. There. She was going to Unova the day after tomorrow. She was leaving Kanto barely two days after the Grand Festival finished, the one she'd just finished competing in.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, she glanced over her shoulder but didn't bother checking it out at the moment. It was probably another congratulatory message for coming up as a runner up at the Grand Festival today or an apologetic one that she didn't come out as a winner.

But right now, that didn't matter. All May could think was that she was going to Unova to do what she'd been subtly hoping to do these past three years, a mild distraction in her mind that hadn't let her really focus on her contests. She finally had the chance to set things right, now. At least, she was still hoping.

* * *

 ** _26th January, 2013. Afternoon_. _Indigo Plateau, Kanto._**

 _"I'm really sorry May, I couldn't make it there. I just got so busy with the gym and I was left with no time. I really hate-"_

"It's alright, Misty," she cut her short, smiling sweetly, as she held her phone close to her ear by pressing it between her cheek and her shoulder, shuffling around the room busily. "I remember replying to your text yesterday with 'no problem.' I meant it, really. You supported me by watching the Grand Festival and that's enough you can do for me. It's fine. I appreciate your effort."

Misty heaved a sigh on the other side, still feeling guilty, _"I hate breaking promises, May!"_

May put the folded shirt in her suitcase, then picked up a dress from the pile of clothes that were spread on the bed, "You didn't do it on purpose. I understand how hard it is to be a gym leader." She balanced the phone between her shoulder and ear, to fold the dress with ease. "My father is one and believe me, he only came to support me live once. Gym leaders are the most busy people I know," she laughed a little in the end and grabbed a pair of shorts before placing her dress on the top of the shirt.

Misty let out a small laugh either, sounding a little relieved, _"I'm glad you understand."_ She paused and then asked, _"Brock was there, right?_

May practically threw the shorts in the suitcase, then held the slipping phone with her left hand, walking towards to the couch, "Yeah, he came. Though, if Forrest weren't the gym leader, he might not have been able to attend the Grand Festival either."

Misty laughed again and shook her head, _"Poor gym leaders."_

May giggled, dropping herself onto the couch, leaving her packing to watch her pointedly while she ignored it for a while. "Poor gym leaders who are admired by every single trainer out there."

Misty chuckled. _"When are you planning to leave Kanto, by the way?"_

"Tomorrow," May kept her voice light and airy, not wanting to arouse suspicion.

 _"Oh. I thought you would stay for a few days,"_ Misty's voice held an unmistakable tinge of disappointment.

"Uh yeah. I thought it's time," May replied dumbfoundedly, staring at the mess her clothes had made. She was beginning to regret the idea of unpacking all of her things trying to make it feel like home. It was a process she seemed to go through every year, but she never learnt. Not wanting to stress herself over it, she lay back against the couch lazily, turning her head away from the phone to yawn.

 _"I was thinking I could at least see you off when you leave,"_ Misty offered.

"Oh," May nodded in understanding, "you'd have to drive all the way to Viridian City."

 _"Viridian? Wait- you're not going by the ferry?"_ Misty seemed a little taken back. May tensed. It wasn't a conversation she was prepared to have just yet.

"Can't I travel by a plane?" She asked innocently.

 _"No, I don't mean it that way. I just - okay, did something happen?"_ Misty suddenly asked, fearing the worst.

May sat up straight at her question. How did Misty figure out anything had happened at all? She'd been so careful. For a moment May stayed quiet, thinking, but then replied in a light, bouncy tone to try and throw her old friend off, "Nothing. What makes you think that?"

 _"You must be lying because a, you're leaving two days after the grand festival, you never do that so there must be some emergency. Secondly, you're 'flying' to Hoenn, which means again you're in a hurry and you need to be there at any cost. I know you love ferry rides,_ " she reasoned, sharply. _"And you hate airports. You say they smell like disinfectant and you don't like all the machines x-raying you."_

Misty wasn't wrong, she admitted silently. "I'm going to Unova."

 _"Well…"_ Misty was silent for a second, a little thrown off. _"... I'm sorry, I think I just whited out for a second. You're going where?"_

"I'm going to Unova," May repeated, pulling a face as she rolled over and saw her clothes were yet to pack themselves.

 _"Why?"_ Misty asked, now more suspicious than ever.

"Just for spending some quality time, you know, for.. um, like a break for a week or two," she shrugged lightly. She didn't feel like telling her the real reason. Well, what she had told her was a half-truth anyway. She had planned to enjoy as much as she could. It was going to be her first time in Unova, and no matter what her goal was, she was still looking forward to it.

 _"Okay,"_ The Cerulean gym leader drawled, still sounding wary, _"I don't know if I buy what you're selling."_

May pouted, "There's no need to be so sceptic about it, Misty."

 _"If you say so!"_

* * *

 ** _1st February, 2013. Afternoon. Nimbasa City, Unova._**

From the second she had stepped into Nimbasa City, leaving the stale airport air behind her, she knew she was indeed going to love her time there. Unova had a completely different atmosphere than any other region she'd been to before; there was something new, something different. The fresh environment was a little unsettling for a moment, but there was an overwhelming feeling bundled in her chest telling her she was going to have a wonderful time, and that carried her through.

Elesa's fashion show had been a phenomenal occasion, and May was a little giddy as she left the venue. Even if Dawn hadn't reminded her, she would have attended the show of her own volition. Dawn, despite giving her a detailed list of all the sights to see around Unova, had been a little annoyed that she'd not been invited to tag along to May's brief excursion to the other region, especially as she'd visited years before and had been the one to tell May all about it.

' _We would have had so much fun!'_

May had tried to explain how impulsive of a decision it had been, and she had been quick to remind Dawn that she was only there for a week or so. She had promised her though that some time in future that they would travel the whole of Unova together, as soon as time gave them the opportunity.

Thinking about it made May smile, pulling her coat around her a little tighter to keep the biting wind out; her purse was dangling along next to her and kept knocking into her leg. Her eyes lit up when she caught sight of Cafe Nimbasa's logo, the very popular cafe of the city, from afar. She continued her job of looking around the city anyway, taking in the beautiful cloudy weather, the colourful buildings and the Ferris Wheel. She had no idea that she'd love this place so much. She was almost thankful to Harley and Solidad, though thinking about them reminded her of the reason for which she was here and it made her chest tighten and her throat throb a little. She sighed, a habit she'd fallen into whenever she thought about it. It had been years now. It had been a long, long time.

Dispelling the thoughts from her mind, she tried to focus on her surroundings. She was overwhelmingly pleased she'd made the snap decision to come, and she would be sure to follow up on her promise to Dawn to travel Unova with her. It seemed like her kind of place.

Her thoughts came to a halt when she found herself in front of the cafe. She took a deep breath and ducked inside, checking her Pokenav to see if there was any update from Iris. There wasn't any, so she looked up and around her to see if she could spot her native Unovan friend, but there was no sign of her. Instead, she searched for a nice booth and when she found one, she walked towards it before sending a quick text. _'I'm here!'_

Removing her scarf, she laid it on the chair she had picked out, then sat on it. Unlocking her Pokenav, she waited for the reply but it was Iris. She wasn't known for her relationship with technology and everybody knew that.

"Hello Miss," a waitress greeted her politely, placing a menu on the table, startling her. "What would you like to have?"

May glanced at her and smiled apologetically, "Uhh- I'm waiting for a friend at the moment, then I'll be able to order."

"That's not a problem. I'll come back in a while," she smiled in return and left the table. May watched her going and swiped up her PokeNav again-

"I'm here."

May looked up only to see Iris, a little disheveled, standing by the table beaming at her. Though May was a little surprised that she hadn't spotted her coming through the door.

"Had you come a bit earlier, I wouldn't have to send her back," May pointed at the waitress. Iris laughed, slightly abashed, and pulled the opposite chair out, falling into it dramatically.

"I'm really sorry, the meeting got a little late because of Alder," she explained. "But now I'm here! Hey, I'm still not over the coincidence; how come we both are visiting Nimbasa at the same time?"

"Pure coincidence," May shrugged before letting out a lighthearted laugh.

Iris giggled, tightening her ponytail which probably had gotten loose at the back, "I'm really glad anyway. Let's order something before we really get going with the gossip, shall we?"

"You bet!" May slammed her fist on the table, a little too loudly and a little too roughly, catching the attention of the rest of the restaurant. "Oops."

* * *

"No Altaria was really good, I'll admit. But, I've got to say May, you just didn't really seem involved in the match or else I know you would've won for sure," Iris critiqued, pointing her finger in May's face, tapping her nose a little.

May was caught off guard. They had been discussing her performance in the Grand Festival and she didn't have the slightest idea that Iris would call her out on fluffing the match.

She didn't do it on purpose, it just sort of... happened.

Furrowing her brows a little, she began carefully, "No. I was totally into the match, you have to understand that Ursula deserved that win!"

It wasn't her fault, anyway. Solidad should've kept her mouth shut until finals.

"Like, I don't know you," Iris snorted.

May sighed indirectly in reply, not really wanting her to believe that she was playing off that day. She had tried so hard to keep the facade but finally she was realizing that people weren't actually all that dumb. In retrospect, maybe she had been the dumb one to hope they would believe her.

"Anyways, what are your plans now?" Iris asked, holding the cup tightly trying to warm her hands a little. She seemed to have picked up on the fact she'd hit a nerve, and tried to change the topic for May's sake.

May watched her for a few seconds with an eyebrow cocked as if contemplating what to say in response, taking a sip from her coffee before she spoke, "I don't really know, I haven't decided yet."

"Aren't you turning eighteen in a few months?" Iris raised her eyebrows in response. She was certainly taken aback by her friend's careless approach to such a milestone.

May breathed, setting her cup of coffee down. "Yes," she answered, rubbing her hands together for warmth. "Is Nimbasa always this cold?" she suddenly asked, trying to change the subject once again.

"January has just ended. It's supposed to be this cold. It'll get warmer soon though," Iris said as a matter of fact. "Come to Opelucid sometime, you'll know what freezing temperatures are actually like."

"Uhuh," May nodded slowly, now observing the people in cafe. Waiters were weaving their way through the cafe frantically, dodging between tables and shoving note pads into the front pockets of their aprons, reciting orders under their breath. There was a sweet couple in the corner, chatting fondly and occasionally brushing each other's hands between sips of coffee. Next to them, there was a small gaggle of teenage girls, squishing their faces together to take a picture of themselves to giggle at later. Further back in the cafe there was someone so buried into his copy of the Unovan Times she couldn't see his face; she was pretty sure he was a man from the cross of his legs, though. May smiled to herself, inhaling the aroma of roasted coffee beans that lingered all through the cafe. She had always loved being in cafes.

"So you really have no idea about what you would be doing a few months later?" Iris watched her looking around and came back to the point.

May looked at her and sighed, "I told you I'm not sure."

"Still, you must have thought about what you're going to major in, or what college you're gonna apply to?" Iris persisted.

"Have you thought about it?" May asked wearily, leaning her chin on her palm.

"I've got a whole year to decide. While, for you, college should start in August, right?," Iris pointed out.

"Aren't you lucky?" May half-mumbled, rolling her eyes.

Iris frowned. "You don't wanna go to college?"

May pursed her lips before she spoke. "No, I'm ready for it. And I mean, I'll admit I have a few colleges in mind, but I'm worried..." She hesitated. "I just think four years out of the contest circuit will put a dampener on my coordinating is all." Iris who had previously been listening intently and considering her words, suddenly started snorting a little at her admission, covering her mouth with her left hand to try and stop herself. "It's not funny, Iris. I'm serious," May pouted, feeling her cheeks flush.

"I'm sorry, May! I know you're serious. It's just.." she laughed a little more, "you're being silly. Yeah, you won't get to train your Pokemon as much as you do now but it won't happen believe me. You'd still get a chance to compete in some special contests. You could participate in tournaments and stuff. It's not that hard as you think it is."

"Maybe you're right.." May drawled, not really sure. She swirled her finger around on the table, collecting up some stray sugar particles.

"I am right," Iris said firmly wriggling in her seat a little. "Come on, let's think about it. You said you have a few colleges in mind, right? What are they?"

May withdrew her chin from her hand and sat up straight. "There a few in Hoenn, you know. Slateport looks nice and it's close to home. And Mauville would be nice too, I guess."

"So you plan to stick around Hoenn, huh?" Iris concluded, leaning forward and making a cradle with her hands to rest her chin in.

"Well," May paused again, resting a teaspoon on the brim of her cup, "I also thought about Hearthome College or Jubilife University in Sinnoh. Or University of Celadon, I loved Kanto when I travelled there. There are so many options; I'm just so confused."

"Mhm," Iris hummed before nodding, "these sound like some great colleges and really great cities. I don't want to sound bias, or anything, but you could also consider some schools in Unova, like Striaton or Castelia University, um, Driftveil College of Management Sciences, Aspertia School of Law, if you're interested in law that is, and Undella College which is right on the beach... Arceus! Suddenly a whole year seems such a small amount of time to decide which college shall I apply in."

May chuckled. "Told you, it's not that easy as you think it is."

Iris crossed her arms across her chest, "Well, when you have a few in mind already, the least you can do is apply in these colleges. Leave the rest to them."

"What if I get an acceptance letter from more than one college?" May asked, pushing strands of her hair behind her ear.

"Then you'd have to make a decision," she nodded, "but the amount of colleges would be cut short."

"And what if I don't get an acceptance letter at all?"

"Aren't you being an irritating little kid?"

May scowled at her, "Hey! I'm only stating the possibilities." She remembered Solidad telling her about how she got rejected by the Mauville University. No one had ever really understood why; her list of achievements was more than impressive and she was an incredibly intelligent woman. All of her examination scores were sky high, and her reputation was flawless.

"Come on," Iris rolled her eyes in a dull manner, "I doubt you'd get rejected."

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me," she muttered, a little embarrassed. Somehow, the thought of rejection had dropped her mood even further. She looked around the cafe again. The lunch rush was coming to an end so the waiters looked a little less stressed. The girls had gone from taking selfies to photographing their lunches, and the sweet couple in the corner had stopped playing with each other's fingers long enough to eat their meals. The man with the paper was still buried behind it, shielded from view. May frowned. Had he really only come to read the newspaper? It seemed a little odd to her that -

"Would you stop checking everyone out?"

May jumped to attention, facing Iris again, who was smirking at her her with arched eyebrows. May smiled sheepishly and leaned back in her seat, too embarrassed to say anything.

"Why did you come to Unova again?" Iris asked, now that she had her attention. May was totally driving her crazy today.

May was suddenly rendered speechless. Why was she here? Because someone had suggested to her indirectly that she might stop by, for some meager little hint or idea. But what were her chances of success anyway? It was a really big city, she couldn't just begin the searching operation on her own. It was impossible and waste of time. Though, she had still tried but on a very low scale because she didn't belong to the investigation agency or anything, right? It was foolish to think that she'd be able to do it. It had been five days since she got here and she had failed miserably.

But she had enjoyed her time here and that was something, at least.

"I.. I just wanted a break you know, from everything," she replied, settling on the same lie which was told to everyone else. No one ever seemed to believe her, but trusted her enough to let her get away with it.

Then again, it wasn't exactly a lie.

Iris watched her, concerned, but said nothing. May could feel that she was trying to observe her so she quickly changed her demeanour and smiled confidently. She had forgotten in that moment that Iris was the one who had noticed her unusual behaviour in the finals.

* * *

 ** _4th February, 2013. Early Evening. Castelia City, Unova._**

' _What's the time for your flight, honey?'_

May read the message aloud; her mother could be a worrier sometimes. She thought for a while, counting on her fingers to figure out the Hoenn time of her arrival before typing a reply.

' _Wednesday. I'll arrive there at seven thirty in the evening, Hoenn time… probably?'_

She tapped on the send button before locking her device and putting it in her jeans pocket. She glanced up, pushing open the door as she exited the shop. A gust of cold air welcomed her, but she was getting used to this temperature. Besides, it wasn't intolerable or something. She had travelled in almost every kind of weather and she had learnt to cope with the temperatures.

She loved winter, anyway.

She took the same route to return to the Pokemon Center which she had used to get to the shops here. She took a glimpse at the bags she had in her left hand and bit her lip. She had spent a fair amount of money today. Though, she had also spent some of it in Nimbasa. Well, she was supposedly here for a break and that meant; shopping and doing whatever she like to do. Retail therapy was good, once in awhile.

She let her eyes wander around the city. One of the reasons May had started travelling in the first place was to explore around beautiful cities like Castelia. It seemed like the only thing she did in cities anymore was spend money and look around in awe at the life that bubbled in them. Unova had really impressed her. Especially Castelia, which was just a metropolis filled with a trembling, inescapable energy that swept her away. For a moment, she felt a little grateful to Iris for suggesting it to her. That girl knew her too well. But everything had this busy, hurried life about it, with business men flocking to the section of the city which seemed dedicated to stocks and financial markets and things May didn't understand. There were bluesy jazz bars and casteliacone vendors and all the restaurants she could ever dream of. Central Plaza was beautiful, with pretty water features that glistened in the cold winter light.

And then there was Castelia University of course. How could she forget it?

On her way back to the Pokemon Center after destroying her bank balance, she stopped by to look around the campus. It had a lot in common with the other university campuses she'd seen, in some ways. She wasn't sure why universities had this theme of all being white. But the evening sun made it shine even brighter, and winter suited it well. There was a grand pathway, bookended by a bookshop and a cafe that blended it into the rest of the city. It was highlighted with beautiful, intricate iron fence work, although it was wide open and students could be seen bustling about the campus within, dragging themselves away from long days in the library and challenging tutorials. There was a crossroad of footpaths, all surrounded with lovely green space and willowy trees, and the buildings themselves were beautiful. White marble were built higher than even the University in Celadon had managed. There was some guy playing his guitar out in the middle of the campus, entertaining the last dregs of the evening's students. It seemed stressful, but communal. There was a culture to college that had begun to fascinate May, a lifestyle she hadn't experienced and had always wanted to.

Soon, she could experience this; just in a matter of months, now. Soon, she would be complaining about the workload, and the drama of roommates, and the stress of deadlines. Soon, she would be a college student.

It was exciting, yet stressful to think about it. But they always said that it was up to the individual as to whether they choose to make those four years exciting or boring. She would definitely go for the former option, she knew that.

Unconsciously, she had picked up her speed as something in the back of her mind reminded her she needed to get back to the Pokemon Center before the sun set. Besides, she was feeling hungry; she hadn't much chance to stave off hunger while shopping had taken precedence. Though, she had bought herself some fries only an hour ago, but it had done nothing to stave off her hunger.

Thinking about the life ahead and fries mostly, because they were really delicious, she found herself close to the boundaries of the Central Plaza. She continued walking on the footpath, crossing the streets, finally feeling the strains of the day catching up to her.

She looked ahead of her, finding the architecture of the city very impressive. Every single street met this roundabout which was the central area of Castelia. In a way that she feared she would forget her route.

Wait- which one of the streets lead to the Pokemon Center again?

She shook her head in distress, taking the bags in her right hand before flexing her fingers of her left hand and mentally cursing at how red they were.

The layout was beautiful and all, but confusing as hell.

She decided to ask a passerby about the Pokemon Center and looked around before approaching a young lady passing by with a pleasant grin, "Um, hello! Can you tell me which street will take me to the Pokemon Center?"

The woman watched her for a second or two, then spoke curtly, "Castelia street."

May was a little taken aback by the rude behaviour but didn't let it get to her. She watched her go, mumbling to herself, "Now, which one is Castelia Street?"

This is probably why she had the guide book placed neatly on the table in her rented room. Much to her dismay, she had no option left but to ask another stranger about Castelia Street.

* * *

It had been a tiring walk all the way from that roundabout to the end of the Castelia street, thanks to the stranger who gave her the directions, and during it, she even took a shortcut-which was the only route she remembered- from within the street and bought herself a casteliacone to keep her spirits up. She'd had one every day since arriving and they never lasted long in her hands.

She waved in Nurse Joy's direction upon entering the Pokemon Center, who smiled in response. She quickly made her way to the stairs but stopped in her tracks when she heard Nurse Joy calling her name.

"Yes Nurse Joy?" She asked politely, approaching her.

"Someone left this package for you, May!" Nurse Joy informed her kindly, while rummaging around behind her counter for a moment before handing her the package. Curious, May looked at it for a moment. It was a typical box shape, wrapped neatly in brown paper. Her name was written on it in a neat, ink black cursive, and she traced the writing with her finger, perplexed. How odd. Who in Castelia knew her, or even knew her well enough to bring her a package?

"Thank you," May smiled politely. "Do you know who it's from?" she asked, inspecting it from every angle.

"It was a girl, she didn't tell me her name though. She asked me to give it to you," Nurse Joy replied patiently, smiling kindly.

"I'll take care of it. Thank you!"

Nurse Joy nodded and May turned on her heel as she made her way to the stairs again.

Her room was on the first floor, so it didn't take much time for her to get to her room. As soon as she shut the door behind her, she got out of her boots and coat and dropped the shopping bags and the package on the couch, before flopping down on the bed.

A tiring but amazing day nevertheless, she thought smiling to herself. Her gaze landed on the package, and it's neat, careful packaging. As much as she wanted to rest and not get up from the bed for a while, curiosity got the most of her. She swiftly grabbed the package from the couch. She wanted to see what it had in it. Christmas had passed, so she wasn't expecting a gift from anyone and it wasn't her birthday for months.

Maybe someone had just decided to surprise her, and the thought made her smile.

She tore open the wrapping wildly, filled with a jittery excitement. But once the brown paper was gone and a white glittery gift box was in it's place, she was a little gentler, putting it neatly in her lap and lifting the lid delicately. It suddenly felt a little more delicate.

Once the box was open, she understood why. With narrow eyes and shallow breathing, she swallowed thickly.

Two, perfect pink roses. They were layered over each other, fastened together with a white ribbon, with a note dangling from it tantalisingly. Gently, she took the note in her somewhat shaking hands.

Pink roses. They seemed fresh, and they left a sweet aroma that was filling her room, and making her ache with nostalgia. They weren't the ones she was used to receive when she was younger, but still, she had this lingering gut feeling which was making her feel dizzy. Roses were the last thing she expected. She wasn't even sure who that girl was and what this gift meant. The note. She turned it over in her hand, and let out a soft sigh of a breath.

' _Welcome to Castelia City'_

* * *

 **I'm really excited for this! Updates would be slow, however, given that I'm a college student but I'll try my best!**


	2. Chapter 1: Lost

**Lost**

* * *

 _They take their shots, but we're bulletproof_

 _And you know for me, it's always you_

 _In the dead of night, your eyes so green_

 _And I know for you, it's always me_

(I Know Places - Taylor Swift)

* * *

 ** _13th February, 2013. Late Morning. Petalburg City, Hoenn._**

The lounge was illuminated and bright with the sun as it shone through the window. It should have been relatively peaceful around this time at Petalburg Gym, but today it wasn't. There was running water in the kitchen as Caroline pottered about, and the dull roar from the television as May halfheartedly watched, slumped across the couch. There was a sudden burst of added noise; the sound of crowd roaring suddenly increased in intensity which made May glance up at the screen while she aimlessly swiped through her phone. She'd only been half watching the Grand Festival, but suddenly she saw a stage filled with bubbles, filling the arena with shimmering light and leaving May breathless. A Masquerain could be seen in the middle of the bubbles, ready for the next command that his trainer was about to order.

"Now use Ice Beam!"

May's eyes sparkled for a second as Masquerain shot a dazzling ice beam onto the bubbles making them freeze in the air. The camera zoomed in on the judges to show their reactions and they looked visibly impressed.

She put her phone beside her, leaning forward on the couch, wondering about the next, and probably final, move that Brianna was about to end the appeal with. It depended on the moves Masquerain knew, but over the years May had developed this habit of trying to figure out the upcoming moves in the appeals which in turn helped her in battles. The camera moved again, letting the viewers take a better look at the frozen bubbles and in an instant, an image of the same view flashed in her mind reminding her of the appeal she had seen once live.

She sat up straight, now staring at the television screen blankly. Her mind was blurred and hovering in the past. It seemed... awfully familiar. She was almost sure that she had experienced the same view many years ago. There were bubbles, then an Ice Beam and the final move was…?

She gripped the edges of the couch tightly. The only person she could think of who could pull off these fascinating appeals with a beautiful Masquerain was Drew.

"That Masquerain reminds me of…," she heard Caroline began cheerfully but the statement trailed off, never to be finished. Perhaps, her mother thought better than to mention him. However, May couldn't really think of a reason she was supposed to have minded.

But that didn't matter right now. The only thing that she cared about was watching his appeal reborn before her. She now remembered watching this appeal once when she was travelling with Ash, Brock and Max. Drew had used Masquerain in the appeals round at some contest and he had used the same tactic which Brianna was now rehashing.

 _"Now would you look at that, a perfect combination of Ice Beam and Bubble which looks so beautiful. I can't wait to see what else Brianna have in store for us!"_

The bubbles stood in the air, even though they were frozen and it was still a mystery to her how the hell it was possible that they remained still in the air. Back in the day, Drew had finished them with Hidden Power, which-

There it was! The next move would be Hidden Power. May was sure of it.

"Masquerain, finish this off with Silver Wind!" Brianna ordered, her hand outstretched and her voice determined.

May frowned as she watched the shimmering waves of air hit the frozen bubbles and shatter them, leaving glittery dust to shine as it fell around the arena. So apparently, Brianna didn't completely use his appeal; she had an innovation of her own. It was possible that she didn't even know that this appeal existed somewhere in the past but it was pretty unlikely, considering how inspired she was by him.

"It was good..." Caroline commented apprehensively from the kitchen, rinsing the dishes in the sink.

It was useless. Every time she thought she had stopped thinking about everything, someone was there to remind her.

The crowd had erupted into a fit of cheers; it was a good appeal, regardless of influence. She sighed wearily, leaning back on the couch, nodding acknowledgingly, "Yeah, she'll make it into the next round for sure." She knew Caroline was watching the appeal while doing the dishes in the kitchen.

"She's one of your friends, right?" Caroline asked cautiously, careful to keep her voice light, gently setting the plates in the rack.

May grabbed her phone from her side and replied, "Yes, she is."

"Mhm," Caroline hummed to herself curiously before looking up, "oh! I totally forgot to ask you. Are you going to come with me to support Max at the Silver Conference?"

May's fingers hovered over her phone for a moment as she paused in her actions, throwing a cursory glance at her mother over her shoulder before returning to watch Vivian calling another coordinator, "You know, I'm feeling like all I'm doing these days is packing and travelling."

"I thought you loved it," Caroline remarked playfully, turning the faucet on again.

May was offended by the remark. She turned over on the couch, facing her mother who was washing her hands in the sink, peering at her suspiciously over the headboard. "I do love it!"

Caroline smiled, looking at her warmly before drying her hands with the towel, "I think you should enjoy it. You won't be able to travel much when you'd get into college."

"Are you trying to scare me, mom?" May rolled her eyes, dropping back down into her seat as she tapped on the Twitter icon on her phone.

"No!" Caroline's eyes widened in surprise, hurrying to her daughter's side. "Why would I scare you? I'm just saying that maybe you won't get a chance to go support Max next year by visiting him."

May withdrew her legs to herself, giving her mother some space to sit, "I know that! Besides, I never said I'm not coming with you. I will go with you."

Caroline sat on the couch before blinking at her, "You.. never did. Haha," she laughed at herself, embarrassed, "That's so silly of me."

May shook her head half-jokingly, a smile forming on her face as she typed out a tweet:

 _Masquerain was fantastic! Looking forward to see you in the battle rounds. :) Brianna_16_

"So.. you better pack your stuff because Silver Conference starts in almost two weeks from now and we have to be there pretty soon. Max would be waiting for us!" Caroline suggested cheerfully.

"Er.." she drawled nervously, glancing at her before throwing her a well-known grin as she played with her phone.

Caroline shook her head, sighing in defeat; "Don't tell me you hadn't unpacked your things yet!"

"Well! I did the right thing, didn't I? It would have been a waste of time packing my stuff again," May reasoned, smartly covering her act of laziness. Truth to be told, she had forgotten that she was supposed to visit Silver Town. It was actually funny because she was so accustomed to unpacking her things wherever she stayed during her journey but her suitcases weren't even touched after she got home.

"Yes, May. That was so genius of you," Caroline replied wearily, falling back on the couch, which made her feel even more embarrassed. Well, her mother wasn't wrong either to think that she was the laziest person on earth sometimes. It had been a week since she got back home.

She really needed to level up her game.

* * *

 _ **15th February, 2013. Late Evening. Petalburg City, Hoenn**_

 _"You know, watching this Hoenn Grand Festival is making me want to get back into contests. Though it's funny because now I work for the APC."_

May watched her rival speak through the laptop thoughtfully. The edges of her lips turned slightly upwards upon the confession before she spoke, "how is your job?"

 _"It's interesting. Working for the contests is delightful in its own way. I work in the management department though and I'm loving my job more than anything!"_ Solidad smiled, tucking a fringe of her hair behind her ear.

"That sounds great!" May replied, smiling in return as she threw a glance at her phone which had just beeped.

 _"It's just... the festival's too good this year. There are so many strong coordinators striving for the title and it's motivating me in some way, I guess,"_ Solidad shrugged, leaning back on her chair.

"I won't disagree. This festival is so exciting to watch with such thrilling battles," she nodded before continuing, "did you watch Brianna's battle? I mean, I knew she had gotten stronger and all but.. she was so inspiring today! I didn't even know she had a Mismagius, guess it was the surprise Pokemon."

Solidad chuckled, nodding as she crossed her arms, _"Yeah I watched that one. She's the same girl who used to admire Drew a lot, right?"_

"Yeah," May shifted uncomfortably in her bed, her mood faltering a bit, "she still does though. Can't you tell?" Her appeal had been quite the tribute. She felt Solidad gazing at her with a barely concealed concern so she changed the topic instantly, not really in the mood to talk anything about him for a while. "Anyway, look! I got this Oshawott cover for my phone during my trip to Unova," she smiled cheekily, holding her device in the front of the laptop camera for Solidad to take a look at it.

 _"That's... nice,"_ Solidad half smiled, _"seems like you did a lot of shopping there."_

May giggled nervously, flipping the phone in her hands, "I.. may have crossed my limits!"

 _"Now that I'm thinking about it, you never told me about your time spent in Unova,"_ Solidad said amusedly, " _how was it?"_

Maybe it wasn't a safe topic after all…

"I had a great time," she tore her gaze away, smiling fondly at the memory. "Unova is really beautiful _and amazing!"_

 _"But you returned unsuccessful,"_ Solidad added quickly, nodding.

May blinked at her through the laptop screen and chuckled at her way of making her failure sound so amusing in a weird way.

"Yes, I failed," May admitted before shrugging, "it was impossible anyway, Nimbasa is hugely populated."

 _"It's fine. You enjoyed your time there and that's great!"_ Solidad concluded with a smile. She probably didn't want May to feel bad about it; she was grateful for such a tactful friend.

"Yes, I did!" May cheered joyfully, her eyes suddenly growing wide and shining with excitement. "Nimbasa is so cool, specially at night! I also met Iris there and she asked me to visit Castelia. I'm so glad, I listened to her. It is a huge metropolis with its tall buildings and all the hustle and bustle, simply a wonderful city. I would totally recommend you to visit Castelia. You won't be disappointed, I'm telling you!"

Solidad leaned onto the palm of her hand and smiled softly as she listened intently to May rambling about the places she had visited during her trip. It was a great relief for Solidad to hear that May's short trip to Unova had gone presumably well.

* * *

A sigh escaped her lips as she stared at the ceiling with a distant look in her eyes, sprawled out on her bed. Talking to Solidad had always been relaxing somehow. Though, their conversation did get a little uncomfortable in the beginning but Solidad, being the generous person she was, didn't probe her much and the topic wasn't brought up afterwards, much to her relief. They talked about literally everything but him, despite the conversation frequently edging towards him and dancing away again.

Still, there was no denying she went to Unova because of him.

To find him.

To get the answers to the questions which had been there for years now.

She sat upright, pressing her hands onto her face as she chastised herself mentally. Her laptop was still resting on the bed waiting to be kept in its usual place. She bit her lip and hissed before grabbing the laptop and the charger. It wasn't the appropriate time to think about it.

No.

She clearly knew reminiscing the events from the past would do nothing but lead to her sulking again. Setting down the laptop on the study table absentmindedly, her gaze landed on the small jet black decorative piece; a flower vase to be exact.

Two pink flowers, which were completely dried, were stood upright in the vase. She reached forward and took the thick stem in her hand. The sender was still unknown and the purpose of the gift was still a mystery, though she had tried asking Nurse Joy about the appearance of the girl that left her this package but it didn't fit anyone she knew.

It would've been better if that stranger had sent something else rather than... roses. They were the telltale reminder of her rival and a running gag through their rivalry which she had always quietly treasured. It had been a long time since then.

Three years.

She last saw him exactly three years ago, after which he had just suddenly disappeared. He didn't tell her anything. He didn't tell anyone anything. Nobody knew whether he vanished on his own will or someone made him to do so.

Even though she was disappointed, she couldn't help but wish for the former option. At least, he'd have a reason then, and hopefully a rational one. But she couldn't help but wonder.

* * *

 ** _15th February 2010. Late Evening. Lake Valor, Sinnoh._**

"I'm surprised."

She perked up and stole a glance at him from the corner of her eyes before continuing to look over the reflection of the moon in the lake as they sat together on the boardwalk. "Why?"

He turned his head to look at her with slightly concerned, but lidded eyes. "You ditched the other half of the after party that was thrown for _you_. That's very unlike you."

She smiled a little at the observation as she swung her legs, letting the freezing water splash against her toes slightly and she retreated her legs back immediately. He always watched her so closely. "It's so peaceful outside. I like it better here," she replied simply, her voice a little meager in the wide open space.

He chuckled quietly to himself and murmured in a low voice, "that it is."

Silence hung between them as both of them enjoyed the serene environment. She craned her head to look up only to see the bright stars twinkling on the velvety sky which always amazed her. The longer she looked at it, the more fascinated she got by the beauty of it.

"You were good today," he broke the silence, suddenly commenting at her performance and startling her. He didn't tend to talk too much about battles he'd lost, so it caught her off guard.

She tilted her head as she watched him thoughtfully. He wasn't the one to initiate conversations, but he was doing it today. Realizing, he was waiting for her to speak she opened her mouth, red dusting her cheeks, "I... Ah! Thanks. You were also great! I enjoyed the battle. It was like, the best battle between us to date."

"Obviously it would be the best one for you, you won!" There was suppressed laughter under his words, his gaze fixed on the lake.

She giggled nervously, ignoring the sarcasm in his voice, "I still can't believe that actually happened." She wrung her hands together in her lap, glancing down, "It's surreal. I have finally achieved my goal. I feel so... lost now."

It felt funny, feeling lost after winning a Grand Festival.

He snickered, placing his hands on either sides as he leaned on them, "It happens. Don't worry about it, it's just a... phase. Every newly crowned top coordinator goes through this."

"Really?" She asked, intrigued. "You mean you went through this last year as well? Wait - was that the reason that you were so down in the beginning of your journey in Sinnoh?"

"I wasn't _down_ ," he snorted. "Just… thoughtful, I guess. I didn't know what to do," he shrugged, all of a sudden looking pensive. "That might be the reason I decided to give Super Contests a try."

May nodded slowly, only now understanding the reason behind Drew's first two losses in a row and pressed her lips into a thin line as she remembered how much she had teased him for it at the time. She had been worried for him, too. In the moment though, it only seemed like karma to her; it was strange to think of it as a post-winning slump. She remembered very well how he had to struggle in the super contests, which hadn't suit him well at all, but he pulled through them somehow.

"I got over it," he said, watching her carefully. She must have been giving that worried and distant look which made him clear it up for her. "Everyone does. They only have to find that right path and when they do, things clear up down the line."

He seemed a little worried for her and it drew out a shaky breath from her as she looked away. It was so strange for her sometimes when she thought about how their rivalry had grown to... this. He'd open up to her now and again, and share something he probably wouldn't with anyone else. He would worry for her and keep her on her toes. It was becoming sort of normal.

She shook her head, rubbing her hands together softly. "To be honest," she paused and then looked at him, "I've been thinking about a break." Drew arched an eyebrow, appearing briefly surprised. "It's just... I have put myself into a lot of work lately that I'm feeling completely done with everything. I think I, I need to refill myself with new ideas and energy so when I return next year I'll be fresh and ready to compete."

His face slowly broke into a lazy smile, "That's not a bad idea, it could help you I guess."

"Yeah, but what about you?"

"What about me?"

May rolled her eyes and nudged him lightly, "You know what I'm saying."

"I haven't really decided yet," he replied warily, wind ruffling his hair.

"From control freak Drew? Nah, you always have something planned!" She remarked teasingly, then added smugly, "or you were waiting for me to tell you first, weren't you?"

"You think too much," he rolled his eyes before continuing, "I was just..." His phone cut him off as it started to ring. Arching an eyebrow,, he pulled out the phone from his front left pocket and glanced at the screen. May watched him out of curiosity as he let the phone ring, just staring at it.

"... Who is it?" She phrased her inquiry gently. It wasn't unlike him to not accept calls, but there had been this flash of concern in his eyes that she was certain she'd never seen before.

"An unknown number," he muttered, more to himself than her as he abruptly stood up, motioning with his hand for her to stand up as well. "Let's go."

"What?" she asked dumbfoundedly as she looked up at him, taken aback. There was something wrong, she knew very well how much he treasured these peaceful moments like watching the sunsets and sitting by the water.

"May, it's getting late. We should get going now," he reasoned calmly, looking down at her. "Besides, it's getting cold out here and you'd catch a cold for sure with the dress you're wearing."

May glanced at her blue knee-length dress. Perhaps he was right, the idea of sitting by the lake at this time of the night wasn't a good one after all, considering she was in Sinnoh of all regions.

"Fine," she breathed, giving in as she rose to her feet when a sudden gust of cold breeze smacked her face and sent chills down her spine making her shiver in anticipation. Drew let out a snicker, shrugging quietly in response. May eyed him warily and put on her high heels before she began to walk away with Drew closely following her behind. Though, she stopped after walking a few steps when she felt absence behind her. She turned around only to see him staring at the lake.

"What happened?" she asked, confused and craning her head to the direction where he was apparently looking; she wasn't able to find anything odd that would have caught his eye.

He just stood there, completely still, and didn't utter a single word for a few seconds. Meanwhile, she crossed her arms in attempt to keep herself a little warm. "Nothing," he dismissed, stuffing his hands in the pockets and walked past her without any word.

She opened her mouth to speak but thought otherwise and ceased. He could be so mysterious when he wanted to be and she hated it. Gripping her arms tighter than before, she strode forward, catching up with him.

It wasn't too long before they reached the Pokemon Center. Shaking their heads simultaneously at the guy who was passed out in one of the chairs in the lobby, they took the stairs.

They both stopped when they arrived in front of his room. He reached for his keys when she held out her hand, exclaiming, "wait!" He looked at her expectantly, clearly surprised, and not for the first time that day, as she let out a short nervous laugh before wetting her lips and meeting his eyes. She knew he was waiting for her to speak and she knew what she wanted to say, she just didn't know how to phrase it. She had originally planned to say it back at the lake but that phone call and his sudden shift in behaviour had left her words fumbled together in the back of her throat. Better late than never, she figured.

She took a deep breath before she began firmly, fidgeting with the hem of her dress, "I won today, yeah I know I'm saying this for the thousandth time today," she giggled sheepishly, "but you know very well how much I was striving for this title and now that I am a Top Coordinator, I think I should thank you." His face remained expressionless so she continued. "You have motivated me from the very first contest I competed in, and you've always pushed me into some good hard work. I can't deny the fact that you've played an inspiring role in my journey to become a top coordinator." He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off, her fists curled, "I want to thank you for everything you did," she said determined. "I will admit that I have always admired your Pokemon and watching you train made me want to train my Pokemon much more than I originally did," she lowered her eyes, looking at her feet as she shuffled them in a nervous attempt. "So, um, thank you! I know you might not see it the way I do but now that I've realized what you were trying to do for me this whole time I guess I should acknowledge it as well."

He remained silent as he watched her with an intense gaze before he spoke, "So you're not that dense, huh?"

"What?"

"I'm honoured I guess," he replied sincerely, flicking his hair behind his ear.

"You are?" She asked, leaning forward a little, doubtful if he was actually being serious.

"Yes," he said, then added with a touch of smugness in his voice, "I mean, I really don't see it like that though. It's just I couldn't watch you fail every time using those stupid tricks."

"You what?" she demanded sharply, stomping her foot lightly on the ground.

"Gee, May. You don't want to get kicked out of the Pokemon Center with that noise you're making, do you?"

May shook her head slowly; she just thanked him for being her inspiration and this is how he returned the favour? "You know what? I'm already regretting this. I'm taking back what I said. You simply don't deserve a good speech."

"You sure?"

"One hundred percent."

He exhaled all the air in his lungs at once before he began smiling, casually taking a step closer, "but you should know, I wasn't lying when I said I was honoured. Because I am."

May was a little taken aback about him stepping closer like that but didn't show it, instead she found herself staring directly into his green eyes. He rarely smiled like that. He rarely spoke that softly to her. He rarely looked her that way- no, it used to be rare. It was becoming normal now. She had seen him smile like that a lot of times in Sinnoh whenever she'd catch him looking at her.

Whenever he was looking at her.

That smile was only for her.

Her eyes flicked towards the empty corridor and then back to his face. She couldn't make out what actually was going through his mind - he was expert in masking himself, much to her chagrin - but she responded anyway, stammering a little. "G-good, because I wasn't lying either."

She watched him chuckle to himself and asked a timid question before giving it any thought. "Would you mind if I hugged you?"

He perked up in surprise and appeared nervous for a brief moment but gave in. May stepped forward, her thoughts way too jumbled up to think straight, and wound her arms around his frame hesitantly and set her chin on his shoulder while he awkwardly put an arm around her back. Silence filled the air and neither of them spoke for a while. Nothing needed to be said anyway.

She stood there with closed eyes and inhaled deeply; his body was slowly loosening up which made her smile. They had always stuck to shaking hands or just May nudging him mockingly even though they had grown quite close with each other during their travels in Johto and Sinnoh but there wasn't anything quite like this.

Perhaps they were just waiting for an appropriate moment.

She was so glad it had come.

After enjoying the peaceful moment, May decided to pull back mumbling 'thanks again' and started rummaging through her purse for the key to hide the blush that was burning her cheeks. Drew stood there, watching her as he hid a fake cough behind his hand, clearly rattled. "Uh.. See you in the morning then?"

She glanced up, "Sure." She threw a smile his way when she finally managed to find the key and walked to the door of her room which was two rooms away from his. Drew half-smiled and pulled out the key from the pocket of his pants before he inserted the key and the door clicked open. It was only then that his phone started to ring again but he shut himself inside his room without paying it any mind. May pursed her lips before she followed suit.

The moment she shut the door behind her, she leaned onto it, exhaling all the air at once. Everything that happened in the hallway was undeniably awkward yet it was something. She didn't quite know what that feeling was but she knew very well that she'd be holding onto it for a while.

Maybe she wasn't feeling so lost after all. Not after what just happened.

* * *

 ** _16th February, 2010. Morning. Lake Valor, Sinnoh._ **

The knock on the door had been loud enough to wake her from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes, blinking them several times to clear the blur in her vision. The knock repeated as she staggered to the door and opened it cautiously. Dawn was stood there with her hands on her hips, brows furrowed together. "About time you open the damn door," she remarked furiously and flew into the room in a huff, leaving May clueless and shocked. Feeling puzzled, she shut the door behind her and watched her fellow coordinator flopping down on the couch.

"What's the matter?" May questioned apprehensively, taking a seat beside her.

Dawn leaned back, letting out a dramatic puff of breath and not meeting her eyes at all. "Nothing. I've been knocking at your door for the past ten minutes, is all."

"Past ten minutes?" May appeared surprised, she averted her gaze from her friend before taking a quick glance at the alarm clock and winced, slightly covering her mouth with her hand, "It's 9:30. I slept in."

"I was almost convinced that you weren't in the room, considering I saw you and Drew sneaking out from the party last night," Dawn persisted stiffly, crossing her arms.

Her eyes widened at the implication and her cheeks flushed a bright pink. "We- we didn't sneak out. A lot of people saw us leaving the party!"

"But you left with him, that is what matters my friend," Dawn gave her a knowing sidelong glance.

"I saw you were talking to Erica and some other coordinator so I thought better than to disturb you!" She explained defensively, "I just needed some fresh air, is all."

Dawn snorted, "You didn't reply to my texts either, May!"

"I was really tired," May admitted, leaning back and sighed before she continued, "believe me I kept dreaming about replying to your text the whole night. I know I'm a horrible friend, I'm so sorry!"

"What did you do after you sneaked out of the party by the way?" Dawn shifted on the couch so that she was completely facing her.

May threw her an exasperated look, annoyed. "We sat by the lake and talked."

"How romantic!" Dawn gushed, her eyes growing bigger with excitement, "so what did you two talk about exactly?"

"Dawn, we literally just talked about coordinating," she replied dryly. "Don't get your hopes up."

"You're both such dweebs, I swear!" Dawn grumbled, slouching in her seat. "What did you do afterwards?"

"We came back to the Pokemon Center," she said plainly and gave her an odd look, "What's the point of all these questions anyway?"

"None," Dawn glanced at the ribbon cup which was placed in the corner of the room and let a small smile slip. She stood up and smoothed the hem of her dress before she said, "Anyway, I came to remind you that you have only ten minutes to get ready because then we're meeting at the cafe next to the Center."

"Ten minutes?" May sat up abruptly, craning an eyebrow. "You know that's not possible, right?"

"I would have given you more time had you not made me wait outside your room for so long!", Dawn retorted, making her way to the door. She stopped halfway, however, turning her head to look at May, as her face lit up with remembrance. "Oh and you could ask Drew to join us. I'd like to remind him that after parties are my time with you, not his."

May rolled her eyes, letting her head rest against the couch again and muttered, "sure."

Dawn smiled triumphantly before she reached for the door handle when she glanced at her again, making May wonder if there was something left that Dawn needed to say.

"Also, there are journalists downstairs waiting for you. Be prepared!" Dawn reminded her before exiting the room.

"Great." This was not great. May let her head fall into her hands.

* * *

It took around half an hour for her to get ready, which greatly displeased Dawn, who then bombarded her phone with text messages. When she finally got out of her room, she let out a sigh of relief before glancing at his dorm door. He hadn't replied to her text when she asked him if he'd be willing to join them for breakfast. The least she could do was knock at his door and ask him directly, she figured. Although, standing there as she waited for him to answer the door brought back vivid memories of last night. She shook all the thoughts away.

Last night was weird.

She knocked at the door once more after three minutes had passed. Suddenly she was a lot more sympathetic to Dawn's plight. There was no way he'd be sleeping after ten; he was a morning person and sleeping in was the last thing anyone would expect from him. She waited for as long as felt rational before giving up. It only meant that he was somewhere else, but he should have replied to her text by now. Drew had always replied to her texts as soon as he could. She stood there in the hallway, wondering if she should actually call him or just tell Dawn that he wasn't responding. Feeling curious, she called him and made her way to the stairs.

The call went straight to voicemail.

She stopped on the very first stair and stared at the wall ahead and then at her phone. His phone was turned off. Again, it wasn't unlike him to have his phone off but it didn't make any sense to her when he himself had asked her to meet in the morning. Pressing her lips into a thin line, she glanced away and resumed walking down the stairs, her steps noticeably heavier than before.

The moment she stepped into the lobby, half of the people had turned their heads to get a good look of the new top coordinator and then the whispers followed. She sighed in frustration but kept a cool façade and even threw a forced smile their way. Attention was the last thing she needed at the moment. A lot of people were having breakfast in that restaurant-like lobby and she could spot some cameramen sitting around the tables near the exit. Looking around, her gaze fell onto Nurse Joy, who was running daily errands behind the counter, setting Pokeballs in a tray to be exact. Maybe Nurse Joy would know, May thought. She must have seen him somewhere. Regaining some hope, she quickly maneuvered to the desk before any second thought. Nurse Joy was now writing something on the sticker, the trainer's name probably and perked up at seeing her before putting on a genuine smile as she greeted her, "Hello May! How are you and your Pokemon doing?"

May smiled gently in return, "Just fine." Nurse Joy held the sticker in the tip of her index finger and thumb and pasted it onto the tray, "You need something?"

May fidgeted nervously as she looked around before opening her mouth to speak, her voice lowered, "Have you seen Drew this morning?"

Nurse Joy held out the tray for Chansey, who stood by, nodding at her and looked back at May, "Hm? Oh, Drew?" she blinked, scratching her chin, "yeah, I saw him." May's face lit up. "But that was hours ago, when he came to return the keys."

"What?" she furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Yeah, he checked out in the middle of the night. I guess, it was three in the morning or so," Nurse Joy nodded to herself, "why do you ask by the way?"

She felt her entire body go numb in a matter of seconds and all the previous night's events flashed in front of her eyes. She curled her fists, her nails digging in her palm.

 _"Uh.. see you in the morning then?"_

He wouldn't have said that to her if he never intended to be there. Why would he suddenly leave the place in the middle of the night? He could have waited till morning. He could have waited to tell her goodbye.

"I.. was just wondering," she loosened up a bit, stumbling back before she reached to rub her temples. Exhaling some of the air she'd been holding for a while, she closed her eyes, "Thank you! I'll be off now."

She turned around and began to walk away. She couldn't care less about the people in the lobby now. He had left Lake Valor and she didn't know why and that was all that mattered in that moment.

* * *

Sinnoh was freezing, according to the newscaster on the television back in the lobby. It had begun snowing in Lake Valor as well. Trails of snow dusted her coat as she walked alongside the Pokemon Center building with her hands stuffed in the coat pockets. The ground felt a little slippery under her feet, the snow starting to cover the ground.

The cafe wasn't exactly next to the Pokemon Centre, as Dawn had put it. It was like two buildings away, but she wasn't in the mood to be pedantic so she ignored it. Instead, she wondered how she managed to sit by the lake the previous night in that freezing temperature; at the time the cold just hadn't seemed important. She pressed her lips together tightly and curled her hands under the coat pocket.

It was way too early to feel so lost _again_. She didn't even get the chance to bask in the moment properly.

A little unsure of herself, and a little sad at the memory, she entered the cafe and was instantly hit by the smell of waffles and coffee. Inhaling deeply, she spotted the blue haired coordinator seated by the window, using her Poketch. Dawn also glanced up in that moment and raised her hands when she noticed her. May nodded, gave her the most genuine smile she could muster and made her way to the table, trying not to bump into the waiters, dropping into the seat when she reached their table.

Dawn raised her eyebrows pointedly. "What took you so long?"

May leaned back on her chair, replying quietly. "Getting ready takes time and you know that better than anyone."

Dawn pouted before she broke into a giggle. "Guess what? Mom just called me to let me know that she had bought me a ferry ticket to Hoenn."

May frowned a little, "But isn't it too early? I mean, it's only February."

Dawn laughed airily, nodding at her, "It is early but that doesn't matter, now does it? It seems like forever since I travelled with Ash and Brock and I've really missed being on the road." She clenched her fists in determination, "I just can't wait for April!"

"Well, that's nice to hear!" May let a small smile show, picking up the menu from the table.

Dawn smiled, shifting in her seat, "Well? I asked to bring Drew with you. Is he on his way?"

May gripped the edges of the menu she was holding and pursed her lips before glancing out the window. The ground was now almost covered in white and people walked around dressed up in the winter apparel looking somewhat excited. She then looked back at her and breathed. "He didn't reply."

Dawn gave her a wary glance. "Well... he might be sleeping or something."

May put the menu back on the table, drumming her fingers on the table. "He's not in his room."

Dawn craned her neck. "Well, I knocked at his door after I left you but there was no answer so I figured that he'd be sleeping." May went silent and glanced away. "Did you call him?" She asked pointedly, rubbing her shoulder unsurely.

May snorted. "I tried, but it goes straight to voicemail. Anyway," she ran her hands through her hair, "we're already late. What do you want to order?"

"What happened, May?" Dawn asked, leaning back on her seat as she crossed her arms and looked at her firmly.

May glanced at her and then at the menu. "He left."

Dawn looked taken aback, her lips parting open. "He left? When?"

"According to Nurse Joy, he left in the middle of the night. Around three in the morning. Funny, right?" She laughed, hoping to sound a little nonchalant, but it came out warped and bitter. She didn't sound anything like herself.

"But why would he leave?" Dawn was still shocked.

"Who knows? He never tells me anything, does he?" May shrugged pointlessly and pointed at the menu, "The menu-"

"Did something happen between you two last night?" Dawn cut her off, her voice low.

"No.." she drawled, averting her gaze as she played with her fingers. "We just talked about stuff." May then threw her an annoyed sigh, "He just... always leaves like that. He always takes off right after a festival, we were lucky he stayed as long as he did. Can we order now? I'm starving!"

"Nobody leaves in the middle of the night, May!" Dawn put both her hands on the table, leaning forward. "Think about it. Where he would go in the _middle of the night_?"

"Maybe he took a ferry or something," May offered with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Seriously? Ferry at three in the morning? It doesn't seem convincing at all," Dawn responded dryly.

"But a cab is always available, right? A lot of flights go out from Sunyshore and they can be at all hours of the night."

"But he didn't say anything about booking a flight?" Dawn wasn't convinced. "Why don't you just call him again, and…"

"Why do you care? And why are we discussing his mean of transportation?" May snapped, slamming her menu shut for a moment and looking away. Gently, Dawn reached across and took the menu from her clenched grip, and laid it on the table carefully before taking May's hands into her own.

"Because there might be something wrong," she said in a soft, soothing voice, stroking her fingers reassuringly. "I am just worried and clearly you are too. He could have told you at least. Are you sure nothing odd happened last night?"

May looked at her apprehensively and pressed her lips into a line. Nothing odd had happened. They had talked about contests and that was all. They had hugged each other and she was almost sure that he didn't mind that hug. She had thanked him and he had been so neutral the whole time and then there was this phone call-

"The phone call!" She blurted out, jerking backwards in her chair. Dawn frowned, a little confused, while May blinked with wide, panicked eyes.

"May I take your order, please?"

* * *

 ** _15th February, 2013. Late Evening. Petalburg City, Hoenn._**

They never found out where he went. Dozens of rumors buzzed around the coordinating world but those were just _rumors_.He was even papped a few times at some airport but they never got to know where he went. Some said he was in Kalos. Some said he was still in Hoenn. But none of them had a proof nor he showed up.

She sighed softly and tightened her grip on the flowers. A lot had changed since then; she had learnt to coordinate without him inspiring her. She had accepted the bitter reality; but really, she couldn't help but wish that he'd show up again. May had no idea how she'd react but all in all she had missed him and the time she spent apart from him had made her realize a lot of things.

What had really caught her interest recently, was when Harley had revealed that he had seen Drew in Nimbasa recently. She hadn't really believed him but Solidad had asked her if she would be willing to visit the city and try her luck.

She looked out into the city from her window and let the wind blow her hair into her face. Glancing down at the mysterious dried-roses in her hand, she smiled a little. What if these roses were from him? She would find out someday for sure. Even if they weren't, she still hoped to see him again.

Someday.

* * *

 _Credit for APC (Association Of Pokemon Coordinators) goes to 'I am Lu'._


	3. Chapter 2: Try Again

**Try Again**

* * *

 _Where there is desire_

 _There is gonna be a flame_

 _Where there is a flame_

 _Someone's bound to get burned_

* * *

 ** _22nd February, 2013. Afternoon. At sea._**

Travelling throughout the ocean was always mesmerising.

For May, watching the clear blue water glisten under the sun brought peace. Sometimes, Water Pokémon would surface and dart around before diving back into the sea, splashing speckles of salty water at her. The thought left her smiling to herself. She felt at home on ferry rides.

Leaning back against the railing, she looked out into the ocean, reluctantly letting the wind blow her hair into her face (she had long given up the struggle to push back the strands of her hair behind her ear again and again). Instead, her gaze was fixed onto the point where the ocean seemed to meet the sky. She observed the illusion, completely immersed in her thoughts.

Nature had always amazed her.

May sighed softly and gripped the railing, which felt quite cold under her hands. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps startled her and snapped her out of her train of thoughts. She jerked her head to her left and saw her mother. May's face brightened.

"What's going on?" Caroline asked, smiling sweetly. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail, which was unusual for her, but May guessed it was because of the rough wind. There was also some sort of booklet in her hand but May didn't pay it any mind. It was probably something her mother was using to kill time on the ferry.

May brushed aside the bangs hanging on her face before shrugging slightly, a lopsided grin appearing on her face, "Just enjoying the view."

Her mother looked where she was previously staring and then glanced at the sky. May followed her gaze and watched the clouds cover the sun. As a result May and her mother's shadows disappeared from the wooden deck.

"The weather is quite nice," Caroline commented in a calm voice, closing her eyes.

May nodded, still staring at the clouds. Suddenly, she felt dizzy. She immediately looked down, pressing her hand to her forehead, stumbling back slightly, which caught her mother's attention who had just opened her eyes.

"What happened?" Caroline hurried to her side, looking worried as she grasped her daughter by the shoulders.

"Ah.. nothing!" she said, breathless, shaking her head a little. However, Caroline didn't seem convinced at all, so May added, half-jokingly, to clear the air, "I guess I should remember while staring up at the sky that I'm on a moving vehicle."

Caroline watched her for a second before letting out a sigh of relief, rubbing her shoulders gently before saying, "Yes, you should." She stepped back, holding out the booklet to May. "Here, I've got something for you: a Silver Town guidebook."

"A Silver Town guide?" May appeared surprised as she took the booklet into her hands. "But where did you get this from? This ferry is going to Olivine right?"

"Yes," Caroline replied, leaning against the railing, "but these days a lot of people have been flocking to the town for the Silver Conference, and as far as I remember, you didn't visit Silver Town during your journey in Johto, did you?"

"I... sort of visited Mt. Silver but didn't get a chance to check out the town!" May admitted, flipping through the booklet. However, she paused, when a certain page caught her eye. Her grip tightened on the booklet unconsciously as she quickly surveyed the page for information about a very popular ramen restaurant. According to the guide, it had the best quality ramen in Johto.

Her face lit up in delight and a grin replaced the usual smile. She looked up at Caroline, opening her mouth to speak. "Look at this mom—" May stopped when she heard the click of a camera. Caroline was holding up a PokeNav and had just snapped a picture of her.

"What are you... doing?" She blinked, baffled.

"Oh, I was just capturing you," Caroline answered, gently tapping on her PokeNav before smiling as she stared at the screen.

"But why?"

Caroline cast a loving glance at May before she began gushing with a hand on her heart, her eyes growing soft. "You look so beautiful while reading with this gorgeous scenery, and your hair looked perfect in this wind!" She paused for wryly adding, "So what restaurant were you looking at?"

May became flustered, closing the book and scratching her cheek sheepishly. "Eh... how did you know it was a restaurant?"

"I'm your mother, and I know very well that the first thing you look for in a guidebook is a place to eat," Caroline remarked, nodding to herself. "Anyway, why don't you take a look at this picture? I know you're gonna love it."

* * *

 ** _3rd March, 2013. Noon. Silver Town, Johto._**

"How much for this Oddish keychain?"

She delicately held the keychain between her fingers, throwing salesman a questioning look before glancing at the man standing beside her. He was inspecting a Teddiursa keychain _very_ closely. It almost seemed like he was searching for some kind of secret message on it. A giggle slipped out of her mouth, and she covered it instantly with her hand lest anyone noticed her.

The league festival was at its peak. The streets were filled with people bustling around and exploring the stalls. The deafening noise almost made it impossible to hear what the sellers were offering, but the situation wasn't bad enough for her to consider leaving this place. She had insisted on checking out the festival solely because of her desire to explore and had dragged her mother and brother along with her.

Caroline had seemed more than happy to join her in her little expedition whereas Max was irked about by the chaos. He had followed them impassively the whole time. She had suppressed a grin at his posture, knowing very well that he wanted to be at the Pokemon Center for results. He had just won his last screening match using his Swellow against a girl from Fuchsia and her Cherubi with relative ease. May had enjoyed the match, and she was sincerely looking forward to see him battle in the coming rounds. The names of the trainers qualifying for the league were about to announce in an hour, and Max had claimed that they would never reach the Pokemon Center in time if they were going to explore the whole festival. May had deliberately shook off what Max said and brought them here anyway, assuring them they were going to check out only a few stalls.

"All of these—" The salesman pointed at the keychains laid on the table in front of her as he spoke. "—are available for seventeen Pokedollars each." He then pointed towards the colourful keychains that hung on the rod above the table, "These are for fourteen Pokedollars though."

Several different Pokemon-sculptured keychains were neatly decorated on the table in front of her. It seemed like the sculptures were made from some kind of transparent material. Crystal, she figured. Yet, the colourful Pokemon-sculptured keychains that hung on the rod above the table reflected beautiful colours under the sunlight as they swung in the air, looking even more enthralling.

May was already fond of them.

"Mhm," she hummed to herself and put back the Oddish keychain and surveyed the stall once again in an attempt to find a keychain of the Pokemon she didn't own. She glanced at Caroline who had found a Beautifly keychain and was examining it carefully. May smiled to herself.

How very like her.

She focused on the keychains again. She needed one for herself as well. The man beside her was now paying for the keychains he'd bought.

Pressing her lips into a thin line, she thought about Pokemon she adored but didn't have. Drifblim, Milotic, Ledyba, Dragonair, and there were lots of others. But... there was also this Pokemon she saw in Unova which had caught her eye, but she didn't know the name. She had been completely thrilled to witness such a _cool_ Pokemon and had also tried to approach the trainer, but she lost her before she could even observe the Pokemon carefully.

She never came across that Pokemon again.

"Oh, oh!" Feeling curious all of a sudden, she slapped her hands excitedly against the table, surprising the salesman, who was returning change to the man. "Do you happen to have a keychain of the Pokemon, I don't know the name, but it's native to Unova?"

Max glanced at her from the corners of his eyes; she was talking about foreign species after all. The guy also looked at her in confusion and asked, "Can you tell me what it looks like or the type of that Pokemon?"

"I'm not really sure about the type actually," she replied, clasping her hands behind her back as she tapped her foot on the floor, grinning sheepishly. "It looked like a.. chandelier? Or something like that."

"Chandelure." Max spoke up before the sales guy could respond. May craned a brow as she threw a suspicious look in his direction. He had never been to Unova yet he knew about the Unovan Pokemon. She was... well, impressed, but she'd never _admit_ that, obviously.

"That's Chandelure! But I'm afraid to tell you, a young man bought the last piece this morning," the salesman informed in an apologizing manner.

"Oh." Her face fell at the news. Great. "It's all right. I'll look for something else," she said plainly though her voice held an unmistakable tinge of disappointment.

She had no option left but to look for other keychains.

Soon, they were paying for the Beautifly keychain Caroline had bought and the Swablu keychain which May ended up buying. It looked very cute.

They returned to the street and May looked around again, running a hand through her hair. They didn't have much time left, and she could feel the urgency in Max's posture.

She decided she would come back here later.

* * *

 ** _5th March, 2013. Late Evening. Silver Town, Johto._**

The hotel room was engulfed in thick silence while the cold air crept through the open balcony. If there was any noise, it was the sound of her fingers against the keyboard or the muffled sound of Caroline brushing her hair as she stood before a mirror. Caroline eventually threw a glance at May who was slumped across the couch with her laptop on her thighs. Traces of makeup were still visible on her face though it had been two hours since they got back from the opening ceremony, but she hadn't bothered to remove it just yet.

"When are you planning on sleeping?" Caroline asked airily, looking at herself in the mirror.

"In a while," she replied busily without making an eye contact. She was apparently reading something on the screen.

"Well, we have to wake up early tomorrow for his battle. That's why I'm concerned," her mother clarified. May nodded quietly, feeling the cold air—which was creeping through the balcony—on her back. It was March, but spring had yet to come in Johto. Her gaze was fixed on the screen of her laptop where a page containing information about Slateport University was opened.

Caroline left her hair loose before walking to the couch. May saw her feet from the corner of her eyes and looked up at her. Caroline was staring right through her, her lips pressed into a thin line; she seemed to be in a deep thought.

"What's the matter?" May asked carefully, adjusting the laptop.

"Hm? Nothing," Caroline breathed and sat down on the couch, beside her. "You tell?" She motioned a hand towards the laptop. "What's the progress? Have you looked up all of the universities you were telling me about?"

"Well, I'm going through Slateport for now." She adjusted the laptop screen so her mother could see it and pulled another tab which was the official site of Goldenrod University. "Goldenrod is also offering Psychology," she informed her.

"Oh." Caroline leaned forward as she read the psychology description on the page. Then as if something just occurred to her, she looked over at May. "You were also telling me about a university in Kanto, weren't you?"

May quickly nodded. "Celadon University. I haven't looked it up yet though." She clicked on a third tab, "Look, this is Hearthome College—" She pulled up another tab, pointing at the screen as she continued, "—and this is Jubilife Institute. Both are really good, but I think I'll go for Hearthome if I have to decide between these two. I've heard some good reviews."

Caroline hummed in response as she listened to her intently. May opened another tab. The hair falling out from her messy bun tickled her face as a sudden thrust of the cold breeze ruffled her strands.

She started typing into the search bar: _University Of C-_

She was about to press her finger on the 'e' key but stopped short for a second. Google had provided her some results beneath the search bar.

The first one was University of Celadon, just what she wanted. But what had really caught her off guard was the second result; University of Castelia. A white building flashed in her mind and everything seemed to fade away, but she stopped herself. Biting her lip, she pressed the down key on the keyboard reluctantly. And then enter. Google, being the fastest search engine it was, presented the results in merely a second. She pulled the pointer over the original website link and tapped on the touchpad.

A page with a peach background came into view with a picture of university's main entrance as the header; a path that was leading to a huge brown building and the greenery that complimented the long path. Admiring the entrance, she looked for the programs option in the sidebar and clicked on it.

"It is one of the top universities in Kanto, obviously Psychology would be there," May said to no one in particular, drumming her fingers on the laptop slightly as she waited for the page to load. Once the list was visible, she scrolled it down all the way to the 'P' section. Psychology was mentioned in the list.

"Mhm," Caroline hummed, squinting her eyes and turned to her. "What are you gonna do now?"

May shrugged quietly in response, exhaling heavily before pressing her lips tightly together. Caroline kept looking at her. May returned the stare and grew annoyed. "I don't know!" She fell back on the couch, covering her face with an arm. "I'm just gonna apply to all the colleges I like. You know, leaving it to them to choose my fate for me!" She laughed in the end a little. It was Iris' suggestion, and she had loved it.

Caroline said nothing and May felt the urge to clarify her statement. "It's just that all these colleges are super good. It's hard to choose between them," she admitted, begrudgingly.

Silence fell upon them as none of them spoke for a while. This time, there wasn't even the muffled sound of brushing hair or May typing on her laptop. Caroline was staring at the screen, but it was obvious that her mind was elsewhere. Whereas, May found it hard to push back the image of the beautiful white building of the foreign university and the library and the coffee shop-

"Look," Caroline suddenly spoke making her snap back into the reality of a small rented hotel room. "I know you're used to travelling and staying at different places but going to college is.., _different_. You have to adjust there and spend _four_ years of your life. That's not a short amount of time. I understand you have the advantage of being well-travelled and knowing which place would suit you the best. But..." She paused to catch her breath. She had kept her voice light and airy, but it was cautious at the same time. "You still need to consider your choices. You have to know if you'd adjust there, and that's not the only thing you should think about. I think... before applying, you should also keep these few things in mind, like, you could do some research about the college, if it's worth applying to. You can try researching which institution provides the best Psychology education. You could also check out the college by visiting it yourself; it gives you a general idea of what it's going to be like. All of this, it only helps you in making the right decision."

May nodded slowly, her gaze fixed at the screen. It had to be the place where she'd adjust.

"We can check out Goldenrod on our way back to Olivine if you'd like, and we can also visit Slateport when we get home," Caroline offered in a very motherly way. "But in the end, however, it depends on the universities, if they're willing to give you admission, and I'm sure they will." Caroline rose to her feet, smoothing her night robe and smiled warmly at her.

"You are right," May admitted, returning the smile as she slid her finger on the touchpad aimlessly. Caroline patted her on the shoulder lightly, feeling relieved and sauntered towards the bed swiftly.

 _I'm sure you know which place would suit you the best._

But why only the images of the university in Castelia kept appearing in her mind? Why did the tall buildings and that confusing architecture seemed to appeal her all of a sudden.,.?

She reached forward and pulled up another tab again. Then her fingers were dancing on the keyboard without her consent, as she searched for Castelia University. The information about the university appeared on the screen but she completely ignored it as she clicked on the link, not realizing that she was actually being eager.

 _You could also check out the college by visiting it yourself; it gives you a general idea of what it's going to be like._

Oh.

The page began to load while she reached for her phone and unlocked it. She noticed a small camera icon on the top of the home screen and slid down the notification bar. It was an Instagram notification. She tapped on it and a picture popped up on the screen.

A beautiful picture.

A small smile slipped onto her lips as she stared at the picture which was a picture of her. She was apparently reading something in the book she had in her hands, and she looked _thrilled._ Her caramel brown locks swaying in the wind seemed like a perfect match for the backdrop: a glistening sea and blue sky, giving the photo a killer effect altogether. No doubt her mother had clicked a perfect picture.

She began skimming through the comments, from her fans and friends, all of them appreciating her and the scenery behind her. She bit her lip in an attempt to stop herself from grinning.

 _You are so photogenic I swear. Not many people get their random shots this... beautiful._

May shook her head, smiling at the comment Iris had made. Iris was wrong; she wasn't photogenic. Not at all. If she were, she wouldn't have had that horrible picture of her printed on the Larousse City ID card. She shuddered at the thought; that picture was horrifying.

Scrolling down, she only read a few of them closely in the process and made down to the last comment, which was posted just a few seconds ago. Though, that comment left her wondering.

 _I bet that's a restaurant you're reading about._

It wasn't from someone she knew, but it wasn't possible. It had to be someone who knew her very closely. She tapped on the username: pkmncontests. A profile layout replaced her picture on the screen; profile was private, apparently. It had zero posts, and the follower count was also the same; the account itself, though, was following four people.

Anyone, who was close enough to know about... her love for food, had a proper account. Feeling frustrated, she dismissed all the thoughts and got back to the home screen before tapping on the message icon.

 _You could do some research about the college, if it's worth applying to!_

She threw a glance at her mother who had covered herself under the sheets and then at her phone. She found the conversation with Iris and quickly typed:

' _So, is Castelia University any good?'_

And pressed the send button. She locked the phone and scanned the screen where the website had loaded, having a light purple background and a picture of some department of the university. Taking a deep breath, she leaned forward, the flashbacks of the university stirring her thoughts.

She clicked on the programs option almost immediately, and she wasn't sure why, but she felt like if the university didn't offer Psychology or Behavioural Sciences in general, it would break her heart.

* * *

 ** _8th March, 2013. Noon. Silver Town, Johto._**

"Sceptile, Leaf Blade!"

"Dodge it, Feraligatr, and use Hydro Pump!"

May hissed under her breath before exhaling all the air at once in dismay as she watched Max's Sceptile lunge forward to attack its opponent but Feraligatr stepped aside. Before Sceptile could stop himself, the water Pokemon charged a Hydro Pump at him, which hit Sceptile with full force, and he fell back.

"This is not going good, even though Max has the type advantage," Caroline commented, looking upset.

"Yeah..." May drawled, leaning back a little, "Feraligatr is very strong." Munchlax noticed the somber tone in her voice and looked up at her for a few seconds but got back to watching the match before tossing a few more popcorn kernels into his mouth.

"He needs to pull a strategy. Type advantage isn't the only thing that leads you to victory," May muttered to herself as she fixed her chin in the cradle of her hands.

* * *

Max curled and uncurled his fists, feeling the pressure get to him. They were both down to their last Pokemon, but Sceptile was already looking tired. Sceptile alone had defeated three of his opponent's Pokemon whereas Feraligatr looked pumped, much to Max's dismay.

Chris was a tough opponent, Max admitted quietly. Even though Max had the type advantage, Chris seemed quite confident in his skills. Only if that Feraligatr wasn't that strong.

"Feraligatr, use Crunch."

Max gasped in alarm before ordering hastily, "Agility." Sceptile ran forward without wasting any moment and vanished as soon as Feraligatr tried to use the move and appeared on the other side of the field. Feraligatr appeared confused as he looked around in a frenzy.

Max straightened up his glasses. There was still some hope left. "Sceptile, Leaf Blade."

* * *

May gripped the hem of her skirt as she watched the Leaf Blade hit Feraligatr. "Way to go!" She cheered him on, almost jumping from the seat. Munchlax also joined her cheering.

"You can do it!" Caroline mumbled under her breath, her eyes focused on the battle.

* * *

"That's the spirit!" Max raised a fist in the air. Feraligatr was trying to get up. Max couldn't lose this chance. "Use Leaf Storm, Sceptile."

"Hydro Pump."

Max watched in horror and before he could tell his starter Pokemon to dodge, Feraligatr had launched Hydro Pump onto Sceptile square in the face.

Sceptile fell back, and Max clenched his fists hard until his knuckles were white. The outcome was clear, but he couldn't afford losing the match like that. Not when only one Pokemon was left for them to take down.

Simply, no.

Sceptile tried to get up, but everyone could see that he was weared down still he was trying.

"You can do it!" Max shouted, his eyes focused on Sceptile.

"Feraligatr, Aqua Tail."

His eyes widened in horror as he watched the Aqua Tail hit his Sceptile just when Sceptile had got up on his feet.

It was over.

* * *

She had thought he would win.

And he would have won if that Feraligatr wasn't _that_ strong. But then again, only one could win. Still, she was glad that Max put up a great fight; he didn't give up even for a second and gave his best to reach the finals. All in all, he had really impressed May.

Still, Max was heartbroken, and she could understand the pain very well. Losing in the semi-finals was devastating, and she remembered exactly how she felt after losing to Solidad in the Kanto Grand Festival, and that's why she felt hurt to see him all gloomy and silent after the battle.

Letting out a sigh, she looked around. The street for once wasn't that busy. There were less people on the stalls than before, and for some reason, none of the stalls were really appealing to her at that moment. She was back on the street because of her mother. Caroline had asked her to get them something to eat, something different from the usual Pokemon Center food.

As she walked down the street and observed people busy selling and purchasing stuff, her gaze fell on the small elegant building in front of her. Curious, she looked for the name, and when she saw the board, there was a small pause in her movements. Silver Ramen House.

She had missed this building the last time she was here. Shaking her head in dismay, she sighed, it was unfortunate she had come across this restaurant on a day she wasn't feeling good. Still, she couldn't help but observe the inside through the glass walls. The interior was even more elegant and luxurious than she had imagined; the place was surely beyond her expectations. A part of her was feeling the sudden urge to go inside and see what the menu had to offer, and the other part told her she should just probably buy something less formal and go back to sulking. After pondering for awhile, she finally gave in and decided that checking out the restaurant wouldn't hurt. Maybe ramen would cheer them up.

Deep inside, she knew it would only cheer _her_ up.

She marched forward and entered the ramen house. After all, she had been meaning to check it out since she read about it in the guide. Upon entering the restaurant, she could smell the delightful aroma of the ramen noodles which made her smile. She hungrily watched a waiter serve some ramen to a nearby table; the sight made her mouth water.

Ramen wasn't a bad idea, now was it?

* * *

When she exited the restaurant, with takeout bags in her hands, she realized she was feeling way better than before. No doubt, the restaurant did wonders on her.

Looking ahead, she began walking back to the Pokemon Center. But before she could jog any further she heard someone call out her name. Furrowing her brows, she looked around and saw an old lady at the nearby stall looking at her pointedly. May turned to her and asked, "Yes?"

"You're May Maple, if I'm not wrong?"

"Uhh... yes, how can I help you?"

"Oh!" She began cheerfully, "I've watched you on TV! My granddaughter is a big fan of yours, and dare I say, you are amazing on the stage!"

May let a small smile slip. She was used to coming across people who'd tell her how fascinating she was on the stage and she always felt so grateful.

"Thank you!" She nodded politely. "I'm glad you like my coordinating! Tell your granddaughter I said hi."

"I sure will, she'd be really happy to find out that I met you." The old lady laughed a bit. May smiled warmly and was about to say her goodbye when the old lady spoke up again. "But right now, I've got something for you though."

"For me?" May was half confused and before she could ask any further she saw the old lady lifting a pair of pink roses from the table—she hadn't noticed them before—which were kept beside a bag of mountain-shaped candies, which was probably what the lady was selling at the stall. She held the roses out to May. "These... someone asked me to give them to you."

May was frozen at the spot. This was so not happening. She couldn't help but stare at the roses in terror, the takeout bag slipping from her grip.

"May?" The old lady seemed concerned.

Blinking a few times, May swallowed thickly before holding the slipping takeout bags firmly. "Wh- who gave you that?' she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't know her personally, but it was a girl who asked me to hand it over to you when you came out of the restaurant!"

A girl.

Her words sent chills down her spine. Someone, a girl apparently, was following her and keeping an eye on her movements. She took the flowers with a slightly shivering hand and noticed there was a small note attached to it. She straightened it out. It read:

' _Once or twice, though you should fail,_

 _Try again;_

 _If you would at last prevail,_

 _Try again;_

 _If we strive, 'tis no disgrace_

 _Though we do not win the race;_

 _What should we do in that case?_

 _Try again.'_

The note trembled in her hands; it was clearly supposed to be referring to her brother's loss. "What did she look like? What was she wearing?" she questioned, tensely; the urgency in her tone was clear.

The old lady blinked a few times before replying hesitantly, "I couldn't see her face clearly. She was wearing a hoodie and sunglasses."

May looked up at the sky, which was covered by the clouds; Silver Town had been cloudy lately so sunglasses were a part of the disguise obviously. She hissed under her breath, gripping the roses tightly. "I… thank you! I'll leave now.

"It was nice talking to you. Take care!" The old lady bid her farewell but worry was etched in her voice; she probably was feeling guilty now. May was way too bothered to notice, so she nodded and resumed walking down the street with the pair of pink flowers in one hand.

She was genuinely scared.

* * *

 _But just because it burns_

 _Doesn't mean you're gonna die_

 _You gotta get up and try, and try, and try_

 _Gotta get up and try, and try, and try_

(Try - P!nk)


End file.
